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Pittsburgh Apparently Really Loved Seeing Paul Skenes Start the All-Star Game

According to information from FOX Sports PR, the Pittsburgh market was the highest-rated for the All-Star Game, no doubt built upon Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes earning the start.
Brady Farkas|
National League pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates (30) warms up with a football before the 2024 MLB All-Star game at Globe Life Field on July 16.
National League pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates (30) warms up with a football before the 2024 MLB All-Star game at Globe Life Field on July 16. | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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Pittsburgh Pirates

According to information released from Fox Sports PR, the Pittsburgh television market was the highest-rated for the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night.

This was undoubtedly because of Pirates starter Paul Skenes earning the start on the mound for the National League, as Pittsburgh fans proved they are some of the best in baseball when there is something worth watching.

But it wasn't just Pittsburgh, the All-Star Game was enjoyed by a massive audience all over the country.

FOX Sports' 25th presentation of the #MLBAllStarGame knocked it out of the park with 7.6 million viewers across FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports streaming services.

The most-watched All-Star event in sports is up +6% over last year on FOX.

Skenes was the main attraction of the game, as the former No. 1 pick with the 100+ MPH fastball faced off against Steven Kwan (CLE), Gunnar Henderson (BAL), Juan Soto (NYY) and Aaron Judge (NYY). In the most anticipated matchup of the night, Skenes got Judge to ground out to third base.

In addition to Skenes, there's a good chance that several people tuned into to see his superstar girlfriend Livvy Dunne, who was mic'd up and shown multiple times in the crowd. She's a national champion gymnast at LSU and a noted social media influencer.

Beyond the Skenes effect, the American League won the game 5-3 thanks to a two-run homer from Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.

With the All-Star break now behind us, it's back to play again on Friday night with several key matchups, including the Mariners and Astros in an AL West battle.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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